The prolific Ang Lee gives a lease of life to the middling book. While not quite as good as it could've been, that movie is certainly exciting, crisp and concise - making up for most of the book's shortcomings. It makes us spend most of our time on the boat and strips the narrative of stale religious homilies that so reduced the book. Instead it tells us a simpler story. A story that is mostly visual.

Just like Scorsese's Hugo last year, this is another film that makes great use of 3D - not just as an additional visual dimension but as an additional character element. Alas, Lee does get carried away and uses gimmicky psychedelic imagery a bit too much.

Just like most things in life, this Life of Pi is about 20 minutes too long.